Nebula #2

A second set of cosmos created initially from ingredients found in my kitchen and composited into orbiting planets and galaxies. What I loved about these experiments is that they were initially all accidents, I didn’t know the chemical reaction of vinegar, vegetable oil, alka seltzer tablets and some food colouring along with a bit of staging and lighting could produce something so other worldly. I distinctly remember feeling so elated from this practice and spending countless hours into the night snapping away.

Nebula #1

This weeks fortnightly kick about creative prompt is the short film Powers of Ten 1977 directed by Charles and Ray Eames. This film made me think of how minute our little planet is and wonder about the possibilities of life many light years away. I wonder what those other planets could look like and the beings that inhabit them. I decided to create some Nebulas using the textures from a previous exhilarating kick about and stamped them onto simple 3D spheres, superimposing them atop those same textures while painting galactic elements to create milkyways that possibly maybe could be.

Empyrean #8

The final set of bubbling biospheres and twinkling nebulas all created within the confines of a bell jar and a generous heap of household ingredients. These images look impressive in comparison to the grotty unglamorous nature of which they were produced, but curiosity and experimentation proved to be the winning ingredients. I shall be sharing some behind the scenes shots of what went into the making of these cosmic liquids in due course.

Empyrean #7

Another batch of miniature colour infused concoctions, all photographed from the confines of a simple bell jar. Sometimes I would attempt to capture the reaction of ingredients as soon as it occurred, although it was fairly violent and fizzed furiously it was at times difficult for my camera to keep up, but sporadically the results were entrancing. The little bubbles brimming to the surface occurs when the reaction slowed down a bit – I like those results a lot, and the fact that I was able to manipulate the colours to my will meant that it felt like I was embodying the scaly skin of some retile attempting to camouflage itself into its surroundings.

Empyrean #6

A sixth offering of photographs from a method combining household fluids and powders in a jar and showcasing the results through the lens of my camera. It is hard to choose a favourite from these photos as I have a substantial amount that yet have to be shared and many more that didn’t make the cut, but if I had to choose one I think it would be the topmost image – I have always adored the cooling colours of teal against scorching reds and how this particular image fades into the darkness.

Empyrean #5

Another set of miniature nebulas created with ingredients stashed away in my cupboards. This process of creating something out of nothing is what I felt special about the kick about – there is always something otherworldly to be found in the mundane.

Empyrean #4

A fourth collection of bubbles, froth, fizz and many colours for this weeks kick about prompt. What was so enjoyable about this process is no one image is the same and because of that I spent hours manefesting these miniature milkyways. Tilting a light, changing the lights colour, adding a splash of vinegar, or giving the mixture a swirl with a spoon created a whole new galaxy to discover

Empyrean #3

If you have Trypophobia look away now! I experimented with a different type of reaction with some of these outputs in particular the image above as at this point in the fun of this creative outpouring I started throwing in different elements at different times to see what transpires. Vinegar and baking soda made those frothy, bubbly effects like the cells of some sort of plant peered under a microscope, or the many eggs of some alien species about to burst.

Empyrean #2

A second cluster of images from this weeks Kick About inspired by textile artist – Louise Baldwin. These images were created in a very lofi method of simply mixing a plethora of ingredients including vegetable oil, water, food colouring and an alka seltzer tablet in a bell jar and capturing the mesmerising reaction as it occurred and settled. In some photographs the sphere of the jar can be seen, like some sort of technicolour meteorite shower heading to an unknown land.

Empyrean #1

This weeks Kick About over on Red’s Kingdom is contemporary textile artist – Louise Baldwin. I felt a very instinct reaction to this weeks kick about and wanted to focus on two things – shapes and colour. I reconcile one of the most enjoyable kick about’s thus far being the prompt and singular word “Souvenir” where I set up a miniature installation in my bedroom entitled Giant in a Jar and took photographs of garishly lit jars to then superimpose my hairy mug into that jar. The innate feeling of fuck knows how this will turn out but transforming to elation when something clicks and having it work out is always such an enjoyable experience that I want to reproduce.

So I went to my cupboards and my roommates to see what I could get my grubby hands on including, vegetable oil, food colouring, vinegar, baking soda and alkaline seltzers. I then set the stage using that same jar from Souvenir to create a makeshift lava lamp and tried to capture the reaction when I added all the ingredients and after the final plop of the alka seltzer in all its bubbly, frothy, fizzy spectacle. The original plan was to photograph the side of the jar as the reaction occurred but it proved rather limp and blurry, but having a look through the top of the jar and repositioning the many lights brimming up the scene changed things drastically. These miniature galaxies full of depth began to form with and the feeling it gave was utterly intoxicating. In the early hours of the morning when most other people were sleeping I was taking hundreds of photos of this concoction in a jar so expect a lot more to come.